A P P E N D I X. though we hear God's word and believe it ; although we have faith, hope, charity, repentance, and the fear of God within us, and add ne- ver fo many good good works thereunto, yet we mutt renounce the merit of all our Paid virtues, of faith, hope, charity, and all our other virtues and good deeds, which we either have done, fhall do, or can do, as things that be far too weak and unperfe t, and unfufficient to deferve remifiion of our fins and our juflificaton ; and therefore we muff truff only in God's mercy, and the merits of his moll dearly beloved Son, our only redeemer, Saviour and juftifier, Jefus Chrift. Neverthe- lefs, b.caufe faith doth directly fend us to Chrift for our juftification, . and that by faith, given us of God, we embrace the promife of God's mercy, and the remiffion of our fins (which thing none other of our virtues or works properly doth) therefore the fcripture ufeth to fay, thatfaith without works, and the antient fathers of the church to the fame purpofe, that onlyfaith Both juffify us. 37. By juftifying faith we underftand not only the common belief of the articles of chriffian religion, and a perfwafion of the truth of God's word in general, but alfo a particular application of the gracious promifes of the gofpel to the comfort of our own fouls, whereby we lay hold on Chrift with all his benefits, having an earneft troll and confidence in God., that he will be merciful unto us for his only Son's fake. " So that a true believer may be certain, by the affurance ofVL , " faith, of the forgivenefs of his fins, and of his everlafting falvation. " by Chrift." 38. " A true lively juftifying faith, and the fan&ifying fpirit of God, V. , " is not extinguifhed, nor vannifheth away in the regenerate,, either fit " nally or totally." 833 Of fssnaificatzon andgood works. L L that are juflified are likewife fanctifted, their faith being, always accompanied with true repentance and good works. 40. Repentance is a gift of God, whereby a godly forrow is wrought- in the heart of the faithful for offendingGod, their merciful Father, by their former tranfgreffions, together with a confiant refolution for the- the time to come to cleave unto God, and to lead a new life. 41. Albeit that good works, which are the fruits of faith, and follow after judfification, cannot make fatisfaétion for our fins, and endure the feverity of God's judgment ; yet are they pleating to God, andaccepted of him in Chrift, and do fpring from a true and lively faith, which by them is to be difcerned, ac a tree by the fruit. 42. The.
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